Mediocrity 'rules' on rapper's new CD

Yes, the graspy sounding, thug-friendly voice of Ja Rule is back with his newest album, R.U.L.E. He's been a busy man since 1999's debut album, Venni Vetti Vecci, putting out an album every year for his hip-hop fans. \nJa Rule's new album offers many familiar faces of Murder Inc. such as Ashanti, Black Child and Caddillac Tah. He sticks to a style that seems to work for him commercially by adding back-up vocalists to his rough, rugged and raw rap style. R.U.L.E. offers many tracks packed full with guest cameos such as R. Kelly and Ashanti on "Wonderful," Fat Joe and Jadakiss on "New York" and Trick Daddy on "Life Goes On." Immediate hit singles, and possibly videos, that pop out at me would be "Wonderful" and "New York." Both tracks just seem to have that special ingredient to make them commercial hit singles and perhaps hot videos for MTV. The new album offers several skits, nice beats and the notable deep and graspy voice of Ja Rule. If you have always been a Ja Rule fan and love his style from his previous albums, then you should like this one too. You can't take anything from the man because he offers a style and voice of his own while spitting out tight rap lyrics along with fresh beats. He has been doing it since 1999 and is still going strong in the rap industry today.\nIrv Gotti and his label took a chance with signing Ja Rule and Gotti hasn't looked back since. Ja Rule literally put Gotti's label on the map by putting out many hits and by becoming the rap game's most commercially successful artist during the early 2000s. \nThis album didn't jump out at me because of the same old pattern of back-up vocalists featuring many of the same artists from his previous albums. R.U.L.E. didn't really offer anything original, and that's something I always look for in an album. Also, I can't get past the fact that Ja Rule does not have a great voice for singing yet he continues to sing on many tracks. His attempts at singing in tune also took away from the quality of the CD. There are also many skits I could have done without. I give props to Ja Rule's rapping ability because he does have skills, but the originality's just not there on this album.